COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State University women’s tennis coach Chuck Merzbacher announced the signing of Michelle Matko, from Aurora West High School in Aurora, Ill., to a national letter of intent. In her senior campaign, Matko took second place in the singles competition at the 1997 Illinois high school state tournament. She ended her high school career with a 148-6 record, a record for both girls’ and boys’ teams at Aurora West. Matko finished no lower than 6th place in four years of play at the Illinois state tournament.

At the age of 14, Matko was ranked No.8 in the nation and she has consistently been one of the top players in the Midwest in singles and doubles play throughout her junior tennis career. This summer Matko will be in the nation’s top 50 returning 18 and under tennis players.

Matko has accumulated numerous honors in her four year tenure at Aurora West. She is a four-time All-State, All-Conference, academic All-Conference and Scholar-Athlete recipient.

“Michelle Matko is a proven winner on and off the court,” said Merzbacher. “She comes from an outstanding tennis program in Aurora and I look forward to her making an impact in the singles and doubles line-up for the Buckeyes.”